Automatic mail-bag catcher for railways.



No. 811,132. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

H. G. & B. 0. w. DIX. AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG GATGHER FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7.1905.

2 SHBETS-SHBET 1.

No. 811,132. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. H. G. & B. 0. W. DIX.

AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG OATOHER FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHILET 2.

WW wows NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY G. DIX AND BERT C. W. DIX, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed June 7, 1905. $eria1No. 264,100.

its object is to provide improved means for holding the mail-bag and moving the same to proper position, improved means for automatically operating the bag-catcher proper, improved means for simultaneously operating the bag-holding and bag-catching device, and

to provide the same with various new and useful features, as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway-car, together with our improved device; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of the mast and parts adjacent thereto, shown at right angles to the view in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail of the rack-bar for operating the bag-catcher and parts connected there with; Fig. 4, a detail of the holding and releasing means for the shaft on the car; Fig. 5, a plan view of a portion of the same; Fig. 6, a detail of the open bearings for the rockshaft of the bag-catcher; Fig. 7, a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8, a detail of the lower arm-supporting ring; Fig. 9, a detail of the lower collar on the mast; Fig. 10, a detail of the fixed washer, and Fig. 11 a detail of a portion of the trip mechanism.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents the mast, 2 and 3 the pivoted arms for supporting the bag as usually con structed.

4 and 5 are rotative rings to which the arms 3 and 4 are pivoted. These rings are rigidly connected by rods 6, 6, and 6", arranged in triangular relation, and said rings are rotative upon collars 7 and 8, fixed upon the mast 1. In the lower collar 8 is a longitudinally-movable rod 9, which at it upper end serves as a bolt to engage openings 36 in the lower ring 4 to hold the same from turning on the collar 8. At its lower end the rod 9 is provided. with an eye with which is engaged one end of a pivoted lever 10, the other end of which lever is provided with a transverse member 11, curved downward at its respective ends and engaged by a second lever 34, pivoted intermediately on a vertical axis 35 and having its outer end extending within the path of a plate 17 pivoted on a vertical axis at its forward side to the side of a railway-mail car and adapted to engage and operate the lever 34 as the car passes the same.

Surrounding the mast 1 and between the rings 4 and 5 are two oppositely-acting strong coiled springs 12 and 13, the upper end of the spring 12 being fixed to a pin 15, inserted in the mast and the lowerand movable end of said spring extended outward and engaging one side of the connecting-rod 6, arranged opposite the arms 2 and 3. The other spring 13 is fixed at its lower end in an opening 39 in the fixed washer 16 and its movable end extends outward and is adapted to engage the opposite side of the rod 6. Between these movable ends of the spring and in the path of the same is an oppositely'extended stop 14, fixed on the mast at the side of the same opposite the railway track. Each spring is held under considerable tension and in opposite directions by this stop 14, opposite which stop the rod 6 is normally held by the opposing ends of said springs, and when the rod is forcibly turned in eitherdireotion the respective spring is wound up by engaging with the rod 6, and the other spring is retained by the stop and prevented from following the rod. The tension of the spring engaging the rod 6 tends to promptly turn the arms 2 and 3 to Ward the track whenever the bolt 9 is released from the ring 4, which is accomplished by-contact of the plate 17 with the lever 34, which turns the lever on the pivot 35. The inner end of the lever thus traverses the inclined surface of the member 11 and forces the same upward, which moves the opposite end of the lever 10 downward, andv thus withdraws the bolt 9 from the ring 4. When thus released the arms 2 and 3 when turned toward the traokare yieldingly stopped by the end of the opposing spring, thus avoiding shocks or breakage and promptly bringing the bag in position to be engaged by the catcher on the car. It will be noted that the ring 4 is provided with two opposing openings 36 to receive the bolt 9, and thus the arms 3 and 4 may be adjusted parallel with the track in either direction. So, also, the member 11 is oppositely inclined, and thus the bolt 9 is withdrawn by a train passing in either direction on the track. The plate 17 also engages near its movable side a pawl 18, which pawl engages a recess in a collar 19, fixed on a shaft 20, journaled on the car and extending from beneath the plate 17, located at or near the end of the car to near the door in the car for receiving the mail. This shaft 20 is provided with a spring 21, which tends to rotate the shaft, and the spring is held under tension by means of the pawl 18 and when released will rotate the shaft, and thus move the rack-bar 23 by means of a pinion 22, mounted on the shaft. This rack-bar is slidable in bearings 32 and 33 and at its upper end engages a pinion 25, and thus rotates a clutch 26, on which the pinion is mounted. This clutch engages the end of the longitudinally-movable shaft 27, on which the bag-catcher 28 is fixed, and surrounding this shaft is a spring 30, which yieldingly holds the shaft in engagement with the clutch. This shaft is also mounted in open bearings 29 and detachabl y held therein by pivoted arms 31, pivotally supported above the open side of the bearing and engaging the upper side of the shaft. The shaft 27 can thus be readily detached and reversed in these bearings when the direction of the train is to be reversed. To operate the shaft 27 in reversed position from that shown, the rack-bar,

clutch, and operating means for the rack-bar are duplicated at the other end of the car.

In operation the bag to be delivered to the train is mounted on the ends of the arms 2 and j 3 in the usual manner and the arms turned parallel with the track and held by the bolt 9 in this position. The plate 17 is at sufficient distance from the catcher 28 to permit the arms on the mast to move to proper position before the catcher 28 comes opposite the mast. The contact of the lever 34: with the plate 17 also forces the plate inward toward the car, and thus releases the pawl 18. The spring 21 rotates the shaft 20 and moves the rack-bar down until stopped by the shoulder 24, contacting the bearing 33. This rotates the shaft 27 and projects the catcher outward in proper position to receive the bag. The impact of the bag against the catcher compresses the spring 30 and moving the shaft 27 longitudinally releases the shaft from the clutch 26, when the bag falls by gravity within the opening or the doorway of the car.

The device is thus automatic, requiring no attention when once adjusted for operation, and holds the bag and arms at a safe distance from the track to permit trains to pass without danger to the trainmen.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a mast, rings rotative about the mast, arms supported by the respective rings, a rod connecting the rings, oppositely-acting springs engaging the rod, a bolt to hold the rings from turning, and means for releasing the bolt when a car approaches the device.

2. The combination of a mast, rings rotative about the mast, arms supported by the rings, a rod connecting the rings, a stop on the mast,

springs oppositely and yieldingly engaging the stop and rod, a bolt to hold the rings from turning, and means for releasing the bolt when a car approaches the device. 4

3. The combination of a mast, collars fixed on the mast, rings rotative on the collars, arms supported by the rings, a rod connecting the rings, a stop on the mast, springs surrounding the mast and oppositely engaging the stop and rod, a bolt in the lower collar and engaging the lower ring to hold the same, and a lever to withdraw the bolt and adapted to be operated by a passing car.

4. The combination of a mast, collars fixed on the mast and spaced apart, rings rotative on the collars, arms pivoted to the rings, rods connecting the rings, a stop on the mast, springs surrounding the mast and fixed at their outer ends, and also having their adja-' cent ends projecting outward to oppositely engage the stop and one of the rods, and means for holding and releasing the rings.

5. The combination of a mast, collars on the mast and spaced apart, rings rotative on the collars, arms pivoted to the rings, rods connecting the rings, a stop on the mast, awasher and a pin fixed on the mast, a spring surrounding the mast and engaging the pin at one end and also engaging the stop and one of the rods at the other end, a second spring surrounding the mast and attached to the washer at one end and also engaging the said stop and rod at the other end and oppositely to the other spring, and means for holding and releasing the rings.

6. The combination of a mast, arms to support a mail-bag and rotative about the axis of the mast, a bolt to hold and release the arms, a pivoted lever to operate the bolt, a transverse and oppositely-inclined member on the lever, a second pivoted lever engaging the said member at one end, and means mounted on a car for engaging the other end of the lastnamed lever to release the bolt.

7. The combination of amast, rings rotative about the axis of the mast, arms supported by the rings, a rod connecting the rings, oppositely-acting springs engaging the rod,'a bolt engaging and holding the lower ring, a lever axis.

IIO

8. In combination with a railway-car, a rotative and longitudinally-movable shaft, abagcatcher fixed on the shaft, a clutch engaging the shaft and means for automatically rotating the clutch.

9. In combination with arailway-car having a door in its side, a longitudinally-movable and rotative shaft opposite the door, a bagcatcher fixed on the shaft, a clutch engaging the shaft, a spring to hold the clutch engaged with the shaft, a spring to rotate the clutch, and means attached to the car for holding and releasing the spring.

10. In combination with a railway-car having a door in its side, a shaft opposite the door, a bag-catcher on the shaft, a clutch engaging the shaft, a rack and pinion to operate the clutch, a spring to move the rack, a pawl to hold the spring under tension and to release the same, and a pivoted plate to release the pawl when the plate is engaged by an obstruction.

11. In combination with a railway-car having a door in its side, ashaft opposite the door, a clutch engaging the shaft, a-pinion on the clutch, a rack-bar having teeth engaging the pinion, a rotative shaft extending from the rack-bar to near the end of the car, a pinion on the shaft and engaging teeth in the rackbar, a spring to rotate the shaft, a collar on the shaft, a pawl engaging the collar, and a plate pivoted near one side on a vertical axis and engaging the pawl near its other side.

12. In combination with a railway-car having a door in its side, a longitudinally-movable and reversible shaft opposite the door, a bag-catcher fixed on the shaft, a clutch at each side of the door to alternately engage the end of the shaft, and separate means for operating the respective clutches and extended to near the respective ends of the car.

13. In a bag-catching device of the class described, in combination with a car having a door in its side, a shaft opposite the door, bearings for the shaft and open at the upper side, pivoted arms engaging the upper side of the shaft, a bag-catcher fixed on the shaft, a clutch opposite each end of the shaft to alternately engage one end of the same, and means for separately operating the clutches.

14C. The combination of a mast, arms rotative about the axis of the mast, a spring to rotate the arms, a bolt to hold the arms. a lever to release the bolt, a bag-catcher mounted on a railway-car, a spring to turn the catcher to operative position, a pawl to hold the spring under tension, a pivoted plate on the car to engage the lever and release the pawl and bolt.

15. The combination of a mast, rings rotative on the mast, a rod connecting the rings, astopon the mast, springs oppositely engaging the stop and rod, a bolt to hold the rings, a lever to operate the bolt, a railway-car having a door in its side next the mast, a shaft opposite the door, a bag-catcher on the shaft, a clutch engaging the shaft, a rack and pinion to rotate the clutch, a spring to move the rack, a pawl to hold the spring under tension, and a pivoted plate to engage the pawl and the lever and release the spring and bolt.

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY G. DIX. BERT O. W. DIX.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MOULTON, GEoRoIANA Grmon. 

